June 14, 2011
Michael Braukus/J.D. Harrington
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1979/5241
michael.j.braukus@nasa.gov / j.d.harrington@nasa.gov
Josh Byerly
Johnson Space Center, Houston
281-483-5111
josh.byerly@nasa.gov
MEDIA ADVISORY: M11-121
NASA SPACECRAFT TO MAKE CROSS COUNTRY VOYAGE
WASHINGTON -- NASA is inviting the public to view a test version of
the agency's next spacecraft that will carry humans into deep space.
The Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle, which NASA announced last month would
be the agency’s deep space crew module based on the original work on
the Orion capsule, will make three stops as it travels by truck from
NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center in California to the Kennedy
Space Center in Florida.
The planned stops are June 15-16 at the Pima Air and Space Museum in
Tucson, Ariz.; June 19-20 at the Bob Bullock Texas State History
Museum in Austin, Texas; and June 24-25 at the Tallahassee Challenger
Learning Center in Florida. The module also will be on display June
29-July 4 at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.
During a test flight in New Mexico last year, a new launch abort
system propelled the spacecraft off the launch pad to a speed of
almost 445 mph in three seconds. The spacecraft then parachuted to
the desert floor.
The test module eventually will be moved to Kennedy's Operations and
Checkout Facility for further study. The Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle’s
propulsion, life support, thermal protection and avionics systems
ultimately will enable astronauts to travel for extended deep space
missions and return safely to Earth.
Reporters interested in seeing the test spacecraft or scheduling
interviews should contact Dan Huot at daniel.g.huot@nasa.gov or call
the Johnson Space Center newsroom at 281-483-5111.
The public can contact each of the sites directly for information on
seeing the spacecraft and hours of operation. For more information on
the each of the museums, visit:
http://www.pimaair.org
http://www.thestoryoftexas.com/the_museum/about.html
http://www.challengertlh.com/
To learn more about the development of the vehicle, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/exploration/systems/mpcv
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